Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-08-18
JESUS AND THE LAW.
EXPLANATORY NOTES BY REV. n.
S. M'ARTHUR, D. D.

Lesson VIII of the international Series
Text Of the Lesson, Matt. v, 1926.
Golden Text, Matt. v, II.
V. Ia. Think Not.-Many in the great
crowd present evidently expected that Christ
would abrogate portions Of the law and in
troduce revolutionary changes. The knowl-
edge Of the disciples was imperfect, and they
may have thought that he was speaking in
opposition to the teachings of Moses. Now is
the time for him TO correct these false notions
and to declare fully the principles of the new
Kingdom am come-or came. This form
OF expression is common to our Lord it i'm
plies his pre-e1istence and suggests his COM
ing for definite purpose. To Destroy
When applied to material things, this word
means to loose, TO pull down, to dissolve. It
isso applied to the temple Matt xvi, 6D, and
In II Cor. v, 1, to the dissolution of the body
under the fgure of q building. Here it
means to set asids, as If the law were SUPER
ssded, as null and void. This was not Christ's
purpose. The law and the prophsts.-This
form OF expression takes in all the Scriptures
of the Old Testament The Eve books of
Moses are spoken of a. the law; the other
Scriptures as the prophets. Sometimes the
Psalms were added. All his hearers under
stood the reference Of these terms Fulfill
To mako full, to complete. Christ came, not
to contradict, but TO complete the law Law
and gospel, rightly understood, are one.
Jesus carried the teachings of Moses to their
rightful conclusion; be lifted them to higher
plane-to the inward thought as well as the
outward act. He makes hatred murder, and
certain look a crime. He fulfilled the law
kao f,.lI Rrve
stitute its penalty, and by accomplishing In
his own life all its requirements.
V. 1S. For verily.-Verily in Greek is
amen This is Hebrew adjective meaning
firm, reliable, faithful. true. Till heaven
and earth.-This is a proverbial express
sion, and is probably equivalent to never.
Jot-The translation of the Greek letter
iota. 1t represents the Hebrew letter yodh,
and corresponds to the English 1. Title
Strictly speaking, this word means Glittle
Horn:" the small point at the edge of
Eome Hebrew letters to distinguish them from
others. With US the word title means any.
thing very small. So it is here used As
has been often said, the expression is eouiva-'
lent to the not dotting of an or the crossing
of t. Fulfilled-That is, come to pass.
V. 19. This is a solemn and also an en-
couraging verse for Sunday school teachers.
Because God designs the law to stand intact.
therefore to break, and especially to teach
others to break, one of its least command
ments, its iot or little just named, is a great
sin. Shall be called.-Shall be and also shall
be called, 1. e., be recognized, be considered as
such. There are differences of attainment in
the Christian life here and hereafter. Those
who follow Christ's precepts partially may
be saved; If they build on him as the founda-
ton they will be saved; but it may be as by
fire, while the hay and the stubble will be
burned. Those who follow his precepts fully
shall have an abundant entrance into the
kingdom.
V. 20 The connection here is plain. That
the men who break the least commandments
shall have lower place Is certain; for, unless
man have Righteousness in advance of that
Of the scribes and Pharisees, be shall not
enter heaven at all Righteousness.-This
means personal rectitude, right doing. Shall
In no case.-By no means, not at al. It is an
intensive formula and represents the double
negative in Greek, which, according to the
idiom, emphasizes the negation.
V. 81 The great Teacher now goes into the
exposition Of the spirit of the law in opposi-
ton to the Interpretation given by the Phari-
sees, with which the people were familiar.
There are in all six examples cited Ye have
heerd.-Strictly, simply heard. Such state
ments they had often heard in the public ex-
positions of the law. By them Of old time
This expression is the rendering of two Greek
words; more literally, to them of old, or to
the ancients. These expounders emphasize
the letter of the law; Christ exalts its spirit.
Judgmens.-This is the lower court which
was in every city Deut. xvi, fS, and had the
power Of putting to death with the sword;
according to Josephus It consisted Of seven
persons
V. "a Here Christ speaks with great au-
thority. I say unto you.-He is an authority
unto himself. The author of the law is the
best expounder Of the law. He sweeps past
the outward act to the inward motive. Hatred
Is murdsr q John fiji, 19. Now comes the ex-
PLANTATION of the three degrees Of anger, with
their corresponding punishments With his
brother-The words without Q causer are
omitted In many manuscripts and In the Re-
vised Version. Raca-This Is an Aramaic
word It expresses supreme contempt, Is
equivalent to a worthless fellow, good for
nothing, an empty head, a blockhead Coun-
eiL-This Is the Sanhedrin, the highest, the
supreme court Of the Jews. Fool.-This verse
and these epithets have troubled many. The
punishment seems greater than the SIN would
warrant; but we must remember that the sin
lies in the spirit which prompts the words
He'll flrs.-This word is, literally, the Gehenna
of fire. The word Gehenna is made up of
two Hebrew words, meaning the @Valley Of
Hinnom." This was situated south Of Jerusa-
lem; in one part Of it children were at one
time sacrificed to Moloch, into whose fiery
arms they were cast. They were then
dropped by mechanical contrivance into
the fierce fires In the interior of the
horrible image. The place was also called
Tophet, name derived, some say, from Toph,
a drum, because drums were vigorously
bsaten 10 drown the cries Of the suffering
children. There is another derivation, how
ever, for the word. Josiah, the last good
king of Judah, as we see from II Kings, xiii,
10, deflled this place by making it the repos-
itory Of the offal Of the city. In later times
it became the place where the bodies of noto-
rious criminals were burned Then it came
to represent the place of punishment of the
wicked isaiah XXX, SS). In the New Testa-
ment it is found frequently and used in this
sense. Christ emphasizes it as q place of tor
ment. 1t has been suggested by several COM
mentators that there is climax in the grades
of anger and so in the degrees of punish
ment: 1, angry thoughts; 9, angry words;
g. condemnatory epithets. So In the punish
ment this climax is found: 1, by the sword;
Q, by stoning; and s, casting the body into
this horrible place; but others consider it
doubtful whether we can establish this eli
max Christ was truth itself 1t will not
do to say that :hese are mere figures. The
figure must not misrepresent the truth. If
such is the figure, what must the terrible
reality BET
V23 Reconciliation ought to be sought
Such anger as has been described in the pre-
ceding verse must not be cherished. II thy,
etc.-Oferings were generally presented at
the temple. The altar was in the court OF the
priests in front of the holy place. BE who
acceptably petitions God must be at peace
with bis brother. II be Is engaged in the
holiest act of worship and remembers that his
brother has aught against him, the act Is to
be suspended until reconciliation is secured
We cannot impose upon God.
V. "a. Leave, e.c.-Great haste is here sug.
gested. The step is to be taken Immediately.
v. 25. Agree.-Come TO a reconciliation
with your opponent who is going to law with